Convertible shipping-package and grocer s caddy



' No. 6l 5,'324. Patented ec. 6, 1893.

C1 TUUHEY. CONVERTIBLE SHIPHNG PACKAGE AND GRUGERS DADDY.

(Application filed feb. 14, 1898.) 4N0 Model.) v 2 Shuts- Sheet l.

.. A mind- 4 76%? 14/ Jaw- Patented, Dec. 6, 1898.

I pp

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CORNELIUS TOOHEY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CONVERTIBLE SHIPPING-PACKAGE AND GROCERS CADDY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,324, d'ated December 6, 1898.

Application filed February 14, 1898. Serial No. 670,175. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CORNELIUS TOOHEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Shipping-Packages and Grocers Caddies; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of pack ages especially adapted for the shipping of tea, coffee, &c., and which can be readily converted, by means of a base attachment, into a grocers caddy, from which to retail their contents.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and elfective means by which the contents of an original package may be dispensed directly therefrom and without disturbing the original packing, whereby during transportation and up to the time of disbursing its original contents the package itself remains no more than one in which to transport the goods.

To this end my invention consists in a shipping-package the removable metallic lining of which is provided with a slide-covered open-. ing at the lower portion of one of its sides and a base attachment consisting of a doorcontrolled vessel having means for readily connecting itwholly on the exterior of the metallic lining of the original package in position to communicate with the slide-covered opening thereof.

It also consists in a novel construction of the base attachment to control and regulate its communication with the package and in an improvement in the slide covering the said opening, whereby it better protects the paper coverings of the lining and forms a tighter joint.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the shippingpackage, a portion of the box being broken away to show the metallic lining. Fig. 2 is a view of the metallic lining removed from the box and showing the slide partly open. Fig. 8is asectional view of one corner of the lining. Fig. 4 is a view of the lining and base which together form the caddy. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of same.

A is the ordinary exterior wooden box or case of the package, made with a removable side or cover a and provided with metallic end straps a, as is customary with packingboxes.

13 is the metallic lining of the box A, which said lining is made of tin, in a box-like form, and adapted to be inserted in and removed from the box A. It is a simple tin can, with no interior mechanism whatever, its inner wall-surfaces being perfectly smooth and everything flush. At the lower portion of one of its sides is made an opening I), which said opening is normally closed when the package is being transported by a slide C, so that when said slide is in place the box-like lining B is complete and its contents hermetically sealed.

In furtherance of the attachment of the base to the exterior of the lining B, as Ishall presently describe, I provide flanges b on the outside of the lining-wall atthe top and bottom of opening b, and into the grooves formed by these flanges the slide C slips.

D is the dispensing attachment, consisting of a receptacle having the usual quadrant shape in cross-section and provided with a hinged door or lid (Z, by the opening of which access is had to its interior. The inner open side of attachment D is provided top and bottom with flanges cl, which are adapted when the slide 0 is removed to slip into the grooves on the lining B,formed by the flanges 1). Thus the attachment to the lining B of the part D is wholly on the exterior thereof, and said part thus communicates with said lining with no projection into it, but everything on the outside. Therefore there is no interior obstrnction to the downward flow of the contents of the package,which thus can be readily reached for retail distribution. It difiers in this respect from any construction requiring the insertion of a part of the base attachment into the package, and to further distinguish this present construction from one in which a base attachment is fitted to a wooden box it is only necessary to point out that in such supposed construction the slide connection must be made in the edges of the opening-that is to say, in the thickness of the box-and there is consequently a part projection of the base attachment into the opening; but a more practical distinction results from the more acceptable and better practice of using a tin lining, such as B, rather than.

a wooden box, in that the latter is subject to such warping, injury, and other distortion during transportation that it is found impracticable to readily fit the base attachment to its grooves; hence the use of a tin lining and the consequent necessity of exterior flanges, such. as b, to form the grooves, resulting in a complete and absolutely exterior or outside attachment of the base, which in all cases will be found to readily and perfectly slip to its place.

With some materials contained in the caddy it may not be well to use the full communication between the lining-opening Z2 and the open back of the base D. To regulate this, I have hinged at e to the narrow inner wall of base D a flap E, which when not in use is turned up against said wall, but when required to decrease the width of the opening is turned down in line with the Wall, and in this position it is stopped by the small wire lugs c. This regulating-flap is of use where the tea is of a closely-rolled leaf, such as Pinhead gunpowder or very fine smallleaf Japan tea, &c., in which cases the flap prevents a too free delivery.

In order to cause the slide 0 to fit perfectly over the opening I) in the lining B and to keep it fiat and flush, especially at its inner end, I secure to its under side at said end a flange 0, and while the slide itself slips over the rim-flange I) left in the lining at the inner end of the opening I) said flange 0 passes under the rim-flange b and as the fit is a comparatively snug one the end of the slide is thus held down smoothly and flush and has no tendency to break through the outer paper with which the lining may be covered. This construction, moreover, provides for a tight joint, avoiding any leakage. The outer end of the slide is downturned, as shown at c, to form a smooth connection with the lining and avoid such injury to the paper as a sharp edge would be likely to inflict. Said end is also provided with a ringc by which the slide may be pushed into and withdrawn from its place.

The general use of my convertible shipping-package and grocers caddy is as follows: The lining B is filled with material-- say, for example,teaat the place of export.

The slide 0 being in place and the lining covered with the usual ornamental or characteristic paper, said filled lining is now put into the box A, the cover of which is then secured. The package is then transported. At its destination it is sold to the retailer, who removes the lining B and slips off slide 0. He thereupon slips attachment D in place of the slide, upends the lining, and his caddy is complete. He can now disburse its contents at retail, using the regulating-flap or not, as said contents require.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I 1. A removable metallic lining of a shipping-case for tea having an opening in the lower portion of one of its sides and provided with means exterior to said opening and forming a portion of the said lining for the attachment to said lining wholly outside of the opening, of a suitable dispensing attachment for said tea communicating with the said opening.

2. A removable metallic lining for a shipping-case for tea having an opening in the lower portion of one of its sides and provided with means wholly exterior to said opening and forming a portion of said lining for the attachment to said lining Wholly outside the opening, of a suitable dispensing attachment for said tea communicating with said opening, and a closing-slide secured to said lining by said attaching means.

3. A removable metallic lining for a shipping-case for tea having an opening in the lower portion of one of its sides and provided with means wholly exterior to said opening and forming a part of said lining for the attachment to said lining wholly outside of the opening, of a dispensing attachment for said tea, and a slide secured to said lining by said attachment means and provided with a flange on its under side arranged to engage behind a portion of the lining.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand. I

CORNELIUS TOOHEY.

\Vitnesses:

IVALTER F. VANE, D. B. RICHARDS. 

